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Watkins Glen, Phoenix name new president
Craig Rust named Watkins Glen International President, Bryan Sperber joins Phoenix International Raceway as President. WATKINS GLEN, NY (March 19, 2002) -- Craig Rust, who has served as president and general manager at Nazareth Speedway for the ...
Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM
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Craig Rust named Watkins Glen International President, Bryan Sperber joins Phoenix International Raceway as President.
WATKINS GLEN, NY (March 19, 2002) -- Craig Rust, who has served as president and general manager at Nazareth Speedway for the past two years, has been named president of Watkins Glen International. Rust replaces Bryan Sperber who will now serve as president of Phoenix International Raceway. Both facilities are owned by International Speedway Corporation (ISC), a motorsports entertainment company based in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Rust will continue his duties as president and general manager of Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania. As president, Rust oversees all operations of both facilities, including marketing, corporate sales, administration, public relations, ticketing and maintenance.
Bryan Sperber, who has served as president of Watkins Glen International, New York's Thunder Road, since 1997, will assume his duties as president of Phoenix International Raceway duties April 1. He replaces Robin Braig, who was recently named vice president of consumer sales and marketing for ISC.
"I look forward to working in this new capacity as the president of such an historic facility as Watkins Glen," said Rust. "Bryan Sperber leaves me a strong foundation and I am excited about the opportunities which lie before me."
"Having Craig serve as president of both Nazareth Speedway and Watkins Glen, gives us the opportunity to take advantage of his many talents as well as maximize ISC's performance and leadership positions," said Lesa Kennedy, ISC executive vice president. "This strategic move is another way for ISC to enhance shared resources, promotional strategies and cooperative interaction across tracks in close proximity of one another."
Rust, a native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was named president and general manager of Nazareth Speedway in January, 2000.
Prior to his position at Nazareth, Rust was the director of marketing and sales at California Speedway (also an ISC facility), a position he assumed in the fall of 1998. As director, he was responsible for all aspects of sponsorship sales, including race titles, hospitality, signage, print, promotions and luxury suites. Rust also developed and implemented the marketing and advertising campaigns as well as the promotions involving the speedway's sponsors. He joined California Speedway in the spring of 1996, as Marketing Manager.
Prior to joining California Speedway as marketing manager in 1996, Rust was the sponsorship manager for International Sports & Event Marketing, Ltd. (ISM) of Newport Beach, Calif. One of his main responsibilities was to sell sponsorship for The Toshiba Sr. Classic, a Sr. PGA Tour event.
Prior to moving to California in 1995, Rust was an Account Executive with World Sports & Entertainment (WS & E) in New York City. His sports marketing career began at Madison Square Garden (MSG) where he was Manager, Event Sponsorships. In this position, he was responsible for the sale, fulfillment and follow-up of the marketing programs as they related to sports and entertainment events at MSG.
Rust graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn.
-jt/wgi-
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